{"id":553,"date":"2010-08-05T16:14:26","date_gmt":"2010-08-05T16:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/texasenergyexchange\/?p=553"},"modified":"2014-06-19T13:13:56","modified_gmt":"2014-06-19T18:13:56","slug":"how-many-state-agencies-does-it-take-to-screw-in-a-cfl-bulb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2010\/08\/05\/how-many-state-agencies-does-it-take-to-screw-in-a-cfl-bulb\/","title":{"rendered":"How many state agencies does it take to screw in a CFL bulb?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>How many state agencies does it take to screw in a compact fluorescent light bulb and a low-flow faucet head? In Texas, the answer will make you grimace: six. That\u2019s not a very efficient way to save money or energy.<\/p>\n

This week, Environmental Defense Fund<\/a> joined Public Citizen<\/a> and the SEED Coalition to call<\/a> for the Texas Legislature to create a single independent efficiency agency.\u00a0 Today our groups sent a letter<\/a>\u00a0to Speaker of the House Joe Straus and Chairmen of the relevant House and Senate committees calling for this new independent agency. Such an agency could coordinate and streamline programs that are now run \u2013 often inefficiently – by multiple agencies and help save Texans money in the process.<\/p>\n

The most recent blow to Texas\u2019 energy efficiency progress happened this past Friday, July 30th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The Public Utility Commission (PUC) proved it cannot effectively manage its energy efficiency programs for Texas citizens\u2019 best interests when it radically scaled back a proposal that would have saved consumers $4 to $12 billion over twenty years.<\/p>\n

Energy efficiency would cost around $1 per month on a $100 electric bill and save $3, but the PUC has indicated that even this small amount \u2013 that pays for itself \u2013 is too much. Texas deserve better than this.<\/p>\n

An independent efficiency agency just makes sense.<\/p>\n